This invention relates generally to an additive and a method for improving the efficiency of hydraulic fracturing operations conducted in subterranean formations penetrated by a wellbore. In particular, it relates to an additive for hydraulic fracturing media comprising blends of modified starches, and blends of modified and natural starches to control fluid loss without permanently plugging or otherwise damaging the formation.
It often becomes necessary or desirable to exploit modern technology to increase the rate of fluid flow in wellbores for the production of oil or gas. One common technique for increasing the rate of fluid flow involves fracturing the subterranean formation adjacent to the wellbore by pumping a fracturing fluid into the wellbore at a pressure sufficient to lift the overburden and fracture the formation. Proppants in the form of uniform size sand, phenolic resin coated sand, glass beads or sintered bauxite are pumped with the fracturing fluid and fill the fracture to prevent closure of the fracture once the pressure is released.
When this fracturing technique is used, it is most important to assure that the fracturing fluid does not penetrate into the formation, since such penetration will limit the efficiency of the fracturing process and damage the formation. Penetration of the fracturing fluid typically is controlled by incorporating a fluid loss control additive in the fracturing media.
A variety of different fluid loss control additives are known and used. These include finely divided inorganic solids such as silica flour, crushed limestone, rocksalt, talc, kaolin, and bentonite. Unfortunately, these materials are insoluble in both aqueous fluids and produced fluids, and therefore tend to permanently plate out and plug the faces of the formation exposed to the fracturing fluids, potentially impairing fracture conductivity and sharply decreasing the flow of fluids out of the formation and into the wellbore. Also, many known fluid control additives have poor "spurt loss" characteristics because the filter cake produced by the fluid control additives is too slow to form.
Another class of materials used to control fluid loss are natural starches. Natural starches are readily degraded, thereby eliminating the plugging problems of the inorganic materials. Unfortunately, natural starches, when used alone, are not effective fluid loss control additives because they provide poor spurt loss control and higher leak-off rates. As a result, natural starches have been combined with finely divided inorganic solids in an attempt to incorporate the desirable loss control characteristics of both materials in a simple fluid loss control additive composition. Unfortunately, the starch/inorganic additives still cause unacceptable plugging, and loss of fracture conductivity.